Outboard motor bracket



Filed Jan. 26, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l C 13 n j a 11 16 L x (:3 J C 3 Jigl'r wcmtov Oct. 21, 1947.

E. C. HITZEMANN OUTBOARD MOTOR BRACKET Filed Jan. 26, 1946 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented st. 21, 1947 a srA'rEs PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

My invention relates to an improvement in an outboard motor bracketwherein it is desired to provide a simple bracket for supporting anoutboard motor in the trunk compartment of an automobile.

Various types of brackets have been produced for supporting outboardmotors in an upright position either for use in displaying the same, orfor use in temporarily holding the same. Cases have also been providedfor enclosing the motors, these, cases having a fiat panel along oneside thereof for holding the motor in predetermined position.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a simple bracketwhich is mounted within the trunk or luggage compartment of anautomobile and which serves to hold the motor in set position duringtransportation. Th motor may be easily secured to the bracket withoutthe use of special tools or equipment and in an extremely short periodof time. At the same time, however, my bracket acts to support the motorin fixed position so that it may be carried without danger of rolling ortilting when the automobile starts or stops suddenly. As a result mybracket serves to protect the motor during transportation.

An outboard motor is often provided with projecting portions which maybe easily damaged if the motor is rolled axially while resting upon afiat surface. Spark plugs often project outwardly from the motor and areeasily broken if the motor rolls from its intended position. Furthermorethe fuel lines and other relatively delicate parts may easily becomedamaged should the motor roll over in transit.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a. bracket which maybe secured to the deck or flooring or the luggage compartment of anautomobile and which is provided with an arm extending in substantiallyparallel relation to the deck. The outboard motor is secured to this armby means of the clamps ordinarily employed to secure the motor to therear of a boat. Thus in securing the motor to the bracket it is onlynecessary to place the motor horizontally into the compartment so thatthe bracket clamps embrace the horizontal arm of the bracket, and totighten the clamps so as to hold the motor in place.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of anadjustable bracket which may be adjusted in height to compensate forvarious sizes of motors. The bracket is formed in two main parts whichare vertically adjustable so that the proper spacing is provided betweenthe horizontal arm at the topof the bracket and the deck or floor of theluggage compartment.

A further feature of the present invention lies in the provision of abracket formed with a base portion preferably channel shaped in crosssection and an upper portion which adjustably slides within the channelof the base portion. As a result the two parts of the bracket are firmland rigidly held in place sothat no twisting or pivoting may take placetherebetween.

An added feature of the present invention lies in providing an upperbracket arm with relatively soft upper and lower surfaces so that themotor clamps may firmly engage the same. A strip of wood is providedabove and below the relatively rigid metal arm of the bracket. Theclamps engage against one of these wooden members while the fixedbracket portions engage against the opposite wooden member. As theclamps of an outboard motor are usually designed to hold the motorengaged to the wooden end of a boat, these clamps may serve theirintended purpose in the usual manner. By providing a wooden surface oneither side of the metal arm, the bracket and clamp may engage thesewooden surfaces without requiring a bulky wooden support which wouldotherwise be necessary,

These and other objects and novel features of my invention will be moreclearly and fully set forthin the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of my specification:

Figure 1 is a rear elevational view of a motor Vehicle showing theoutboard motor supported by my bracket therein.

Figure 2 is a perspective View of the assembled bracket in readiness foruse.

Figure 3 is a perspective View of the bottom portion of the bracketshowing the construction thereof.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the bracketshowing the construction thereof.

Figure 5 is a front elevational view of a slightly modified form ofbracket construction.

The bracket A is designed for supporting an outboard motor B in suitableposition for transit within the luggage compartment II] of an automobileC. The luggage compartment ill may be of any desired shape or form aslong as the size of the same is sufiicient to accommodate the motor andbracket. The lug age compartment I0 is shown provided with an opening Hat the rear thereof which is normally closed by a closureIZ-transverselyv pivoted at l3- to the body ofthe car. The compartmentshown is provided with a lower compartment l4 suitable for holding aspare tire IS. A false floor or deck I6 extends over the tire l5 andacts to support luggage and the like. Obviously the bracket A may besecured either to the floor of the compartment or to the deck I6thereof, depending upon the structure of the particular type of car onwhich the bracket is used.

The motor B is provided with clamping brackets I! which are of channelshape to extend over the upper edge of the rear of a row boat or thelike. Threaded clamps l9 extend through one side of the brackets I! toclamp the motor firmly to the boat. The threaded clamps l9 are providedwith clamping ends 20 and handle ends 2| by means of which the clampsmay be rotated.

In usual construction the clamps I! are pivotally connected to the bodyof the motor B so that the angle between the clamps and the motor may bechanged if desired. As the particular structure of the motor itself isnot of importance in the present invention, the manner in which theclamps I! are connected to the motor is not disclosed in detail.

The bracket A includes the lower or base portion 22 and the upper or armportion 23. These bracket portions are adjustably secured together aswill be later described in detail.

The base portion 22 of the bracket is channel shaped in cross sectionand includes a flat base portion 24 and opposed side flanges 25. Thebase portion 22 is substantially L-shaped in form, thereby providing abase portion 26 and a standard portion 21. A pair of apertures 29 areprovided in the base portion 26 by means of which bolts or screws 30 mayextend to hold the bracket in place. In the form illustrated the bolts30 extend through the base portion 25 and through the deck Hi to holdthe bracket firmly secured to the base.

The standard portion 21 of the bracket element 22 is provided with apair of spaced bolt holes 30 therethrough near the upper extremitythereof. These bolt holes 30 extend through a base portion of thechannel between the flanges 25 and serve as bolt holes for the boltsconnecting the two parts of the bracket.

The upper section 23 of the bracket A includes a standard portion 3| andan arm 32 extending angularly therefrom. The standard portion 3| isprovided with a series of bolt holes 33 therethrough which are spaced 2.distance equal to the spacing between the bolts 30. As a result thebolts 34 which clamp the two bracket portions together may extendthrough the holes 30 and through any two of the holes 33, therebyholding the two bracket portions in properly adjusted relation.

The arm 32 is provided with a pair of strips 35 and 36 of hard wood orthe like, lying above and beneath the same. The wooden strips aresecured to the arm by screws or bolts 31. In preferred constructionscrews 32 extend through the strips 35 through holes in the arm 32 andanchor in the strip 36. The ends of the screws or bolts are preferablycountersunk so thatthe clamps on the motor engage against the woodensurface.

The manner in which the bracket A is attached is clearly indicated inFigure 1 of the drawings, it being understood, however, that while theposition indicated is preferred, the bracket may be directed in adiifere'nt'direction if it is so desired. The standard portions 21 and3| of the two bracket portions are preferably in right angular relationto the base portion 23 and the arm 32 respectively. However, it is notentirely essential that the right angular relation be preserved as longas the base member 26 and the arm 32 are in substantially parallelrelationship.

In Figure 5 of the drawings I disclose a modified form of bracketconstruction D which is similar to the bracket A. The bracket D includesa bottom or base element 22 identical to the base element previouslydescribed. The upper bracket portion 39 differs from the similar portion23 of the bracket A in that the plane of the arm 4| is inclined. Thisconstruction is desirable because of the fact that the rear ends of mostboats tilt inwardly and downwardly so that the brackets H are usuallyadjusted in angular relation to the motor B to hold the motor inapproximate vertical position. By inclining the arm 4| as indicated inFigure 5 the motor brackets may be attached thereto without changingthis angular adjustment of the brackets H. In most instances the bracketA will permit the necessary tilting of the motor B without adjusting thebrackets I1. In some instances, however, it is preferable to tilt thearm 4| as indicated in Figure 5.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principlesof construction and operation of my outboard motor bracket, and while Ihave endeavored to set forth the best embodiments thereof, I desire tohave it understood that obvious changes may be made within the scope ofthe following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. An outboard motor bracket for use in the luggage compartment of anautomobile, the bracket comprising a generally U-shaped portionincluding a substantially horizontal base portion, a standard portionextending upwardly from said base adjacent one end thereof, and asubstantially horizontal arm extending from the upper end of saidstandard portion generally parallel to, and spaced above, said base,said arm being positioned for engagement by the motor clamping bracketsof the outboard motor.

2. A clamping bracket for use in combination with an outboard motor andan automobile luggage compartment, the bracket including a substantiallyhorizontal base, an adjustable standard extending upwardly from saidbase adjacent one end thereof, and a substantially horizontal arm at theupper end of said standard generally parallel to, and. spaced above,said base, said arm being designed for engagement in the clampingbrackets of the outboard motor.

3. An outboard motor bracket for use in the luggage compartment of acar, a bracket comprising a substantially horizontal base, meanssecuring said base to the flooring of the luggage compartment, astandard extending upwardly from the base adjacent one end thereof, anarm extending laterally from said standard generally parallel to, andspaced above, said base, and wooden strips secured to opposite sides ofsaid arm, said arm being designed for engagement with the motor bracketclamps of the outboard motor.

4. An outboard motor bracket for use in the luggage compartment of acar, the bracket comprising a base portion, means securing the baseportion to the floor of the luggage compartment, an adjustable standardportion extending upwardly from the base, and an arm extendingsubstantially horizontally from said standard,

said arm including a central rigid member, and a pair of strips ofrelatively softer material secured thereto, said arm being designed for'engagement with the motor clamps of the outboard motor.

5. An outboard motor bracket for use in the luggage compartment of acar, the bracket comprising a base member substantially channel shape incross section, said base being bent upwardly to provide a standardportion substantially channel shape in cross section, a second bracketmember embraced within the channel of said standard portion andadjustably secured thereto, said second bracket portion having atransverse arm thereupon designed for engagement by the bracket clampsof an outboard motor.

6. An outboard motor bracket for use in the luggage compartment of acar, the bracket com prising a base member substantially channel shapein cross section, said base being bent upwardly to provide a standardportion substantially channel shape in cross section, a second bracketmember embraced within the channel of said standard portion andadjustably secured thereto, said second bracket portion having a 6transverse arm thereupon designed for engagement by the bracket clampsof an outboard motor, said arm including a relatively rigid centermember and upper and lower wooden strips secured to said arm andextending above and below the same and secured thereto.

EDWIN C. HITZEMANN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

